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Unruly passenger incidents rising again, FAA data shows:
FAA figures released Tuesday show more disruptions on commercial flights in the past week than any week in the past two and a half months.
The FAA says there were 128 new incidents reported by flight crews, bringing this year's total to 4,626 incidents. The new number is the highest weekly figure since the FAA started releasing weekly data on July 20.
About 72% of issues in the past week were over the federal transportation mask mandate, figures show.
[...] The agency has proposed more than $1 million in fines against unruly airline passengers this year.
One $45,000 fine announced in August was against a passenger accused of throwing his luggage at another passenger and, while lying on the aisle floor, "grabbing a flight attendant by the ankles and putting his head up her skirt."
Another passenger would not wear his face mask, the FAA, said, and "acted as though his hand was a gun and made a 'pew, pew' noise as if he was shooting a fellow passenger."
[...] Pekoske said 110 TSA officers have been assaulted this year.
Lots Of Talk About A Crackdown On America’s Air Rage Epidemic—But Not Enough Action:
Among the most egregious incidents: Last December, a Delta Air Lines passenger tried to open the cockpit door mid-flight and struck a flight attendant in the face before being restrained by crew members and a fellow passenger. On an Alaska Airlines flight in March, a Colorado man who refused to wear a face mask swatted at a flight attendant, then stood up and urinated in his seat area. In May, a Southwest Airlines passenger punched out a flight attendant’s teeth after being told to keep her seat belt fastened.
[...] The threat of four- and five-figure fines has not tamped down unruly behavior on planes. “Civil penalties alone are failing to deter criminal activity by airline passengers,” [...]
[...] The airline industry, meanwhile, says this is a job for the Department of Justice. “We believe that the United States Government is well equipped to prosecute unruly and disruptive onboard behavior,” [...]
What, if anything, should be done, or could improve the situation?
(Score: 3, Funny) by dry on Friday October 08 2021, @05:44AM (5 children)
For most of them, it sounds like assault would be the preferred charge. Could always order them of the plane and charge them with trespassing if they don't vacate the plane.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday October 08 2021, @09:36AM (4 children)
Only if it happens before take-off. Otherwise, ordering them off the plane would be cruel and unusual punishment.
(Score: 2) by Nuke on Friday October 08 2021, @04:25PM (1 child)
Ordering them off the plane during flight sound good, but planes will need to be fitted with airlocks first.
(Score: 2) by dry on Friday October 08 2021, @10:55PM
Just means lowering the planes altitude first and maybe getting the passengers to agree to the open door, which they are likely to do to get rid of the twit.
(Score: 3, Interesting) by dry on Friday October 08 2021, @10:59PM (1 child)
We're talking America, does anything qualify for cruel and unusual punishment? The other year when they were torturing people to death with a weird cocktail of drugs, the Supreme Court ruled it was fine, I beleive the reasoning being that in 1789 it would not be cruel and unusual punishment. As they didn't have airplanes in 1789, it should get a pass.
Here in Canada, things like 3 strike laws and minimum sentences can and have been struck down as cruel and unusual punishment.
(Score: 1, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday October 09 2021, @07:37AM
Cruelty is the whole point of the American justice system, if you ignore the slavery.